Atomic and Ion Collisions in Solids and at Surfaces: Theory, Simulation and Applications

This book is an introduction to the application of computer simulation and theory in the study of the interaction of energetic particles (< 1 eV to the MeV range) with solid surfaces. The authors describe methods which are applicable both to hard collisions between nuclear cores of atoms down to soft interactions, where chemical effects or long-range forces dominate. In surface science, potential applications include surface atomic structure determination using ion scattering spectroscopy or element analysis using SIMS or other techniques that involve depth profiling. Industrial applications include optical or hard coating deposition, ion implantation in semiconductor device manufacture or nanotechnology. Plasma-sidewall interaction in fusion devices may also be studied using the techniques described. This book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers, both academic and industrial, in surface science, semiconductor engineering, thin-film deposition and particle-surface interactions, in departments of physics, chemistry and electrical engineering.